"Putting the Cart Before the Horse"

[Three Stents]

Before you build a coop, what are going to do when,
1. It rains and rains and rains?
2. When the temps are over 100 degrees for days?
3. When the temps get below freezing?
4. When it snows and your tarp covered run collapses?
5. When predators keep getting in the coop/run?

 

[LoveMyPeepers]

1. It rains and rains and rains?

We have a metal awning over our coop so the rain doesn't affect our coop and the chickens have a place to sit and wait.

2. When the temps are over 100 degrees for days?
3. When the temps get below freezing?
4. When it snows and your tarp covered run collapses?

It doesn't get that cold where we live, so I don't worry about that.

5. When predators keep getting in the coop/run?

We lock up our chickens at night and anytime we see a possum we shoot it.

 

[StinkyAcres]

anytime we see a possum we shoot it.

 

[Sefirothe]

1. I have good sloped drainage and wood chip mulch built up higher than outside the run. The lowest corner of the run sometimes has a puddle in seriously wet weather but the chickens see it as enrichment. They play in the mud and drink the dirty water.

2. I have a barn fan installed in the roof of my run and connected to a temperature sensor. The fan is kicked on if ambient temps go higher than 85°F

3. A metal roof covers the entire run and the shed that is their coop blocks the prevailing wind. They are out in the run right now dust bathing while it is 26°F and snowing.

4. No tarp here.

5. Hardware cloth all around, metal roof, and no gaps anywhere keeps all predators out.

Hard to see in the pic but that’s my white crested black polish having a good dust bath while snowflakes drift down.

 

[Three Stents]

1. I have good sloped drainage and wood chip mulch built up higher than outside the run. The lowest corner of the run sometimes has a puddle in seriously wet weather but the chickens see it as enrichment. They play in the mud and drink the dirty water.

2. I have a barn fan installed in the roof of my run and connected to a temperature sensor. The fan is kicked on if ambient temps go higher than 85°F

3. A metal roof covers the entire run and the shed that is their coop blocks the prevailing wind. They are out in the run right now dust bathing while it is 26°F and snowing.

4. No tarp here.

5. Hardware cloth all around, metal roof, and no gaps anywhere keeps all predators out.

View attachment 4277576

Hard to see in the pic but that’s my white crested black polish having a good dust bath while snowflakes drift down.

you did good......nice to see what others have done to their coop/run. I started this topic for those that "put the cart before the horse", then come running here with their problem(s). Do your homework, be proactive not reactive and your chickens will thrive, instead of survive.

 

[Echelontheory101]

Before you build a coop, what are going to do when,
1. It rains and rains and rains?
2. When the temps are over 100 degrees for days?
3. When the temps get below freezing?
4. When it snows and your tarp covered run collapses?
5. When predators keep getting in the coop/run?

Are you asking for advice or are you trying to tell people they dont plan/build their coops well?

If advice, what I did is below.

1. My coop and run have an actual roof and it's made out of polycarbonate Greenhouse panels so in the winter the sun warms up the coop during the day to over 15° above ambient temperatures and I put white tarps over it in the summer to deflect that same Greenhouse light and effect so it doesn't get too hot so I have zero concerns with rain and I don't live in a flood zone.

2. Both sides of the coop and run are open with hardware cloth and I have two huge 20-in exhaust fans that are on a temperature controlled Outlet so if it gets above 80°, the fans turn on if it gets below 75 degrees the fans turn off

3. It's below freezing here 24 hours a day for 3 to 4 months every single year I have three Cozy Coop panels plugged in to that same temperature controlled outlet that I use in the summer but I turn the settings to if it drops below 32 degrees the heaters turn on theyre radiant heaters not heat lamp so there is no fire risk I also built my coop well out of wood and made sure to secure any drafts.

4. See number 1

5. I built my Coop like Fort Knox because I did adequate research before buying chickens or building a coop. I use 19 gauge hardware cloth secured it every couple of inches with screws and washers the base of the walls are all wood it's a real wood beam roof any ventilation gaps are covered in the same 19 guage hardware cloth and there's a 3-ft hardware cloth skirt buried underground then under gravel then under garden boxes around the entire perimeter of the coop and on the door there is a regular handle, a pin latch, and a hasp lock latch and any gap more than a quarter inch wide is stuffed with steel wool and covered in hardware cloth

 

[Echelontheory101]

you did good......nice to see what others have done to their coop/run. I started this topic for those that "put the cart before the horse", then come running here with their problem(s). Do your homework, be proactive not reactive and your chickens will thrive, instead of survive.

Not sure how I feel about "come running here with their problems" this is a forum specifically designed for folks to come here for help. If no one was posting asking questions and asking experienced folks to share their knowledge then this forum wouldn't exist... if it's supposed to just be a social forum only no advice then the admins will tell us that. While I agree I find it incredibly frustrating when I see people who did zero research have chickens not realizing theyre living beings being like my chickens are all dying I don't know what the problem is because they didn't do any research it's completely different than people who do plan very well but obviously are still first-timers and learn some things as they go and I don't think asking questions should be shamed in a forum that's specifically designed for that. And the condescending nature of some of the people in these forums that think everyone should know every single thing and seem to have the selective memory to think that they knew every single thing about having chickens when they first started, is why people dont join or get chickens in the first place. Just my 2 cents

 

[Three Stents]

Not sure how I feel about "come running here with their problems" this is a forum specifically designed for folks to come here for help. If no one was posting asking questions and asking experienced folks to share their knowledge then this forum wouldn't exist... if it's supposed to just be a social forum only no advice then the admins will tell us that. While I agree I find it incredibly frustrating when I see people who did zero research have chickens not realizing theyre living beings being like my chickens are all dying I don't know what the problem is because they didn't do any research it's completely different than people who do plan very well but obviously are still first-timers and learn some things as they go and I don't think asking questions should be shamed in a forum that's specifically designed for that. And the condescending nature of some of the people in these forums that think everyone should know every single thing and seem to have the selective memory to think that they knew every single thing about having chickens when they first started, is why people dont join or get chickens in the first place. Just my 2 cents

not going to debate, just hoping this helps out some who are "thinking" about starting a "homestead"

 

[Echelontheory101]

not going to debate, just hoping this helps out some who are "thinking" about starting a "homestead"

The quotes tell me all I need to know on your feelings, no need to debate. Have a great day!